What better way to get back into yet another rendition of Spooktober than to peer into the conjuring universe? I know, I know, I will eventually get to the main movies. But all in due time. Let’s see what the hottest craze of 2018 was. Does it hold up? Or is it yet another bog-standard spooky movie for brain-dead teens? Only one way to find out!
Gothic aesthetics, a trope that is as old as filmmaking. Old castles, monasteries, farmsteads, and whatever looks rustic and semi-medieval is up for grabs. When it comes to the general feel of The Nun it does not disappoint. But as an origin story or any story for that matter, it fails in so many ways. The Nun is the origin story of a demon, a bit of a classic story but maybe it will have a twist? NOPE, no twist, no deep story element, just a predictable movie about nuns. But is it at least scary?
If I were to describe this movie’s scariness I would do it something like this. The Nun is a haunted house that you find at your local fair or theme park. It moves you from room to room and shows you something scary. Jumpscares are aplenty and the music is atmospheric with very generic scare buildups. All of the setpieces are of extremely high quality but it cannot take away from the sinking feeling that you have seen and heard all of this before. When you leave the haunted house you turn to your friends and say “that was neat” and you go about your evening. That is also my final score for this movie. It is neat, with good actors portraying a generic story, and with a sad lack of twists and bonding with any character. Spooktober is off to a pretty bland start. Let’s hope it picks up soon!
